Cabinet locking system

ABSTRACT

A cabinet locking system includes at least one cabinet having a housing and a plurality of separately openable compartments in the housing. The system has an interlocking device locking the compartments, that device including separate switchable locking devices mounted in the housing and assigned to the compartments as well as an access authorization device into which identification codes corresponding to the compartments may be entered. An electronic processing unit that is connected to the interlocking device and the access authorization device controls the locking devices in accordance with codes entered into the access authorization device so that by entering selected codes into that device, corresponding ones of the compartments are unlocked. The system also includes an interlock responsive to the opening of one unlocked compartment for preventing the opening of any other unlocked compartment.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS—NOT APPLICABLE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a cabinet locking system, which has at leastone cabinet and access authorization means, with which specificcompartments of the cabinet can be released to be opened. The inventionalso relates to cabinets suitable for such a system.

Cabinets and cabinet systems are used in many sectors in trade andindustry, for example as stationary or mobile tool cabinets in theindustrial production sector or in the workshop sector. Since heavytools or workpieces often have to be kept in such cabinets, tilting ofthe cabinets when drawers are opened must be avoided. It has thereforebeen known for a long time to provide cabinets of this type with anindividual pull-out safeguard. This is intended to ensure that aplurality of drawers cannot be opened at the same time, but only onedrawer, in order in this way to reduce the tilting moment resulting fromthe pulled-out drawer.

(2) Description of Related Art

It has been shown that, in some areas of application, securityrequirements have to be met and are not met by existing cabinets. Thus,for example, the intention is to prevent any persons from having accessto security-sensitive parts or tools which are stored in cabinets. Thiswould intrinsically be achieved simply by these elements being locked incompartments in the cabinets. In order to access these, thecorresponding compartments would have to be unlocked and lockedcontinually, however, which would disrupt the working sequenceconsiderably. In addition, each compartment would have to be providedwith its own lock and key, which increases the outlay on construction.In addition, such a solution would also entail relatively largeorganizational outlay, since it would be necessary to monitor whichpersons are given keys for which drawers. In the event of the accessauthorizations, the return of a large number of keys would have to bemonitored would have to be organized.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a cabinetsystem, in particular for the production and workshop sectors, in whichit is possible to ensure that only authorized persons have access todrawers or other cabinet compartments and, in spite of these securitymeasures, the working sequences are essentially not impaired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, the object is achieved by a cabinet lockingsystem according to the main claims.

Systems according to the invention should therefore have at least onecabinet, preferably a number of cabinets, in which compartmentspreferably constructed as drawers, in particular in different cabinets,can be allocated uniquely to one user or one use group. The allocationis made via an electronic processing unit, with which each lockingdevice of the compartments is assigned to a specific code and thereforeto a specific user group. In order that the allocation can be selectedfreely and changed, this is preferably done by software implemented inthe electronic processing unit.

The electronic processing unit should be connected to the individuallocking devices of the interlocking device and the access authorizationdevice and switched in such a way that locking devices are released assoon as a code associated with this group is input by the accessauthorization device or is detected as being applicable. In order thatthe desired drawers can be released, appropriate switching signals haveto be sent to the respective locking devices.

A cabinet system according to the invention can include virtually anynumber of cabinets, drawers, groups and users. It can therefore be usedto regulate the access authorization of all the cabinets, in particularall the security-sensitive cabinets, or other lockable storage means, ina production shop, workshop or the like. However, it can likewise beused to administer and regulate the access authorization of only onecabinet, for example a tool cabinet that is mobile and provided withdrawers.

In a preferred embodiment, the cabinet system is based on a drawercabinet described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,388. This has a centralmechanical interlocking device which is provided with an interlockingprofile in which each drawer engages with a tongue. The tongue serves onthe one hand to lock the drawer against impermissible pulling out of thedrawer when the cabinet is locked via a central lock. On the other hand,the tongue is also a constituent part of an individual pull-outsafeguard. The latter ensures that no further drawers can be pulled outas soon as the action of pulling out a first drawer has been started. Incombination with the cabinet system according to the invention, it istherefore always possible for only one drawer in a cabinet to be pulledout at specific points in time. The invention supplements the cabinet tothe effect that, in principle, only those drawers can be pulled outwhich belong to one or more groups of drawers with regard to which anauthorization means or code has been detected by the accessauthorization vice, and therefore have been released to be pulled out.In order to keep the complications on construction as low as possible,the separate locking devices provided to distribute the accessauthorization for each drawer can also be constituent parts of theindividual pull-out safeguard at the same time.

An advantageous and constructionally uncomplicated locking device can beimplemented by the locking of a drawer being carried out via aspring-loaded slide which, in order to be released, is pushed out of itslocking position by a reciprocating magnet. This release is alwayscarried out in all the drawers which belong to a specific group in thesense of the present invention. These drawers are therefore in principleready to be pulled out as soon as the electronic processing unit hasdetected the code input into the access authorization device as beingapplicable and has emitted a corresponding release signal. Only theindividual pull-out safeguard prevents more than one of these drawersbeing pulled out at the same time.

In a further preferred embodiment, it is possible to ensure that, in theevent of a power failure, all the drawers are secured against anyaccess. Because of the power failure, firstly the reciprocating magnetsbelonging to the locking devices lose their effect, by which means allthe slides in a cabinet are transferred into a release position by thesprings acting on them in each case. However, locking the drawers isthen carried out centrally by means of the interlocking profile, whichis operatively connected to a power-fail safeguard. In one embodiment,provision can be made for this purpose for a lever to act on the centralinterlocking profile, said lever being pivoted by a spring from arelease position into a locking position. The spring acts only in theevent of a power failure, since its spring force is otherwisecounteracted by a further reciprocating magnet belonging to thepower-fail safeguard. Because of the spring in the power-fail safeguard,the interlocking profile is transferred into its locking position andlocked in the latter. All the drawers are therefore secured againstbeing pulled out, irrespective of whether they were previously in an“open” or “closed” position on the basis of the locking devices that canbe switched via the access authorization device. In order to have accessto the drawers again in spite of a power failure continuing, provisioncan be made for the drawers to be capable of being opened again by usinga mechanical lock system, which preferably likewise acts on theinterlocking profile.

In a further preferred embodiment, the power-fail safeguard can have amains-independent emergency power supply. Using a sensor in thepower-fail safeguard, it can be determined whether the interlockingprofile—or any other interlocking device in the drawers—is located inthe locking or release position. With the aid of a suitable actuatingmeans, for example two reciprocating magnets acting in oppositedirections, the interlocking profile can be actuated even during a powerfailure. In conjunction with the sensor, provision can in particular bemade for the interlocking profile always to be transferred into itslocking position during a power failure if it should be located in therelease position for any reason.

Further preferred configurations of the invention emerge from thedependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in more detail using an exemplaryembodiment illustrated schematically in the Figures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a drawer cabinet according to the invention in aperspective illustration;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the interlocking device shown in FIG. 1along the line II—II;

FIG. 3 shows an illustration according to FIG. 2, in which parts of theinterlocking device are located in a different position;

FIG. 4 shows a front view of part of the rear of the wall of the cabinetaccording to the invention;

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C show a view from below of part of the interlockingdevice in three different position as a drawer is being pushed in;

FIGS. 5D, 5E, 5F show a view from below of part of the interlockingdevice in three different positions as a drawer is being pulled out;

FIG. 6 shows a sectional perspective illustration of part of a furtherdrawer cabinet according to the invention; and

FIG. 7 shows an elevation of part of an inner side of the rear wall ofthe drawer cabinet shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a drawer cabinet 1 of a cabinet locking system according tothe invention. The drawer cabinet has a housing 2, in which a number ofdrawers 3 are mounted via rollers (not illustrated) on telescopicrunners 4 so that they can be pulled in and out. As can be seen on thebasis of a partly broken-open illustration of a top plate 5 of thehousing 2, on a rear wall surface 6 of the drawer cabinet 1 there isfastened an interlocking profile 7, which belongs to an interlockingdevice of the cabinet locking system. The interlocking device isconstructed as a central interlock.

In the illustration of FIG. 1, one of the locking devices 8 alsoillustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 and belonging to the drawer cabinet 1 isshown. Each of these locking devices is assigned to only one drawer 3.The locking devices 8 interact with the interlocking profile 7 in amanner to be explained in more detail below. Shown on another side ofthe interlocking profile 7, in very schematic form, is a power-failsafeguard 9, which comprises a reciprocating magnet 10 loaded by aspring and an angled lever 11 attached thereto. The power-fail safeguardinteracts with the interlocking profile in a manner to be explained inmore detail below.

Each drawer 3 has, on an edge of a bottom surface 15 that is orientedtowards the rear wall surface 6 of the housing 2 and belongs to eachdrawer, a fitting 16. As emerges, inter alia, from FIG. 1, a tongue 17is formed on the fitting 16 and is provided to engage in theinterlocking profile 7. The tongues 17 and the interlocking profile 7are constituent parts of an individual pull-out safeguard, as describedin more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,388 and EP 0 755 478 AI. Theconstruction and functional scope described in each case in thatdocument of these individual pull-out safeguards is thus incorporatedcompletely by reference and declared to be content of this patentapplication as well. The tongue 17 is in each case surrounded by a forkof the fitting. Between the tongue and the two legs 18, 19 of the fork,a gap is formed in each case. One of the two forks 18, 19 is providedwith a slot 22.

FIG. 2 now shows how the interlocking profile 7 has three legs 23, 24,25 belonging to a rail. Each side of a base leg 23 is adjoined by a sideleg 24, 25, which in each case encloses an obtuse angle with the baseleg 23. One free end of each side leg 24, 25 is bent over. In thebent-over ends, a switching strip 26, 27 is mounted in each case by oneside edge 26 a, 27 a, is aligned essentially parallel to the rail and isable to execute pivoting movements about its side edges 26 a, 27 a. Thetwo switching strips 26, 27 are coupled to each other via two dogs 28which are each arranged in the area of one of the ends of the rail, inwhich area in each case the side edges 26 b, 27 b of the switchingstrips 26, 27 are arranged. The dogs 28 are guided in the side legs 24,25 in planes which are aligned essentially orthogonally to thelongitudinal extent of the interlocking profile.

On one side of the interlocking profile 7 there are locking devices 8which are arranged in an approximately vertical row (FIG. 4). Each ofthese locking devices 8 is assigned to one drawer 3 in each case and hasan electrically actuated reciprocating magnet 30 (FIG. 2), on which aslide 31 is arranged. The slide 31 can be displaced by the reciprocatingmagnets 30 in an essentially horizontal movement in the direction of theinterlocking profile 7. In addition, each slide 31 is loaded by a forcein the direction away from the fitting 16 by a spring (not illustrated).Since the spring force is lower than the force originating from therespective reciprocating magnets 30, the slide 31 can be displacedcounter to the spring force in the direction of the fitting 16. By thismeans, the slide 31 passes into the slot in the fitting 16 and locks therespective drawer 3 against being pulled out. In order to release thedrawer 3, the respective reciprocating magnet 30 must be actuatedelectrically, by which means the spring (not illustrated) pushes theslide 31 out of the slot 22.

The tongue 17, which is illustrated inter alia in FIGS. 2 and 5A, hastwo sections 34, 35 of side edges which extend essentially in parallel.These two sections 34, 35 are bent over with respect to a push-in andpull-out direction (arrow 36) which extends essentially orthogonallywith respect to the longitudinal extent of the interlocking profile 7.The side edge 34 located on the side of the first switching strip 26 hasan undercut 37, which merges into a section 38 of this side edge of thetongue 17, which section extends essentially parallel to the push-in andpull-out direction 36. The side edge 35 of the tongue located oppositethe second switching strip 27 is, by contrast, bent over over its entirelength and, starting from the free end of the tongue, extends toward acenter line 39 of the tongue and of the interlocking profile 7.

The drawer cabinet 1 is provided with an electronic processing unit (notillustrated). This electronic processing unit can in turn be connected,via an interface and an electric line 40, to a PC 41 (FIG. 1), in orderto program the unit. Connected in turn to the PC 41 is a magnetic cardreader 42 as a constituent part of an access authorization device. Usingthe reader 42, magnetic codes contained on magnetic cards 43 can beread. Of course, it would also be possible to use virtually any desireddifferent code carrier and any desired code reader, such as inductivedevices, chip card readers or else locks with associated keys. Likewise,the users can also be given only a numeric code, which has to be inputby them.

Loaded into the processing unit is a program with which the drawers 3 ofthe cabinet 1 illustrated—and drawers of any desired further cabinetsbelonging to the system—can be combined into various groups. Thesegroups can therefore comprise any desired number of drawers 3. Inaddition, the program offers the possibility of changing the compositionof the groups at any time, that is to say which drawers 3 are allocatedto which group. The functional scope of the program ultimately alsoincludes the facility for each group to be assigned a specificauthorization means, a specific magnetic code in the present exemplaryembodiment, which can be given out to every member of a user group

In order to be able to make access to a specific group of drawers 3, inaccordance with this composition of the groups, a magnetic card 43 whichcontains the appropriate code assigned to this group has to be enteredinto the card reader 42. After this reading operation has been concludedand the code has been transmitted to the electronic processing unit, thelatter outputs a switching signal to the cabinet 1, as a result of whichall the reciprocating magnets 30 in the drawers 3 in this group areactivated. The respective spring of the reciprocating magnets 30therefore moves the corresponding slide 31 of each drawer 3 in thisgroup out of the slot 22 in the fitting. The drawers 3 are thereforeintrinsically ready to be pulled out. By contrast, all the other drawerscontinue to be locked by the slide belonging to their locking deviceagainst being pulled out, since they do not belong to the releasedgroup.

In order that drawers can actually be pulled out, the central interlockalso has to be released by the power-fail safeguard. The latter has, onthe side of the side leg 25, the further reciprocating magnet 10belonging to the central interlock (FIGS. 1 and 4). Said magnet acts onthe upper dog 28 via an angled lever 11. As a result of currents beingapplied, the magnet 10 executes a stroke and is brought into an endposition in which it displaces the angled lever vertically downwardparallel to the interlocking profile. By this means, cams notillustrated in the figures release the upper dog 28. The dog 28 is nowable to move in a plane which extends essentially orthogonally to thelongitudinal extent of the interlocking profile 7 (release position ofthe power-fail safeguard). If the reciprocating magnet 10 isde-energized, then the spring pushes the magnet and the angled lever 11attached thereto vertically upward again, as a result of which one ofthe cams engages in a recess in the dog and locks the latter againstmovement (locking position of the power-fail safeguard).

As a result of the release of the central interlock, the switchingstrips 26, 27 are also transferred into the end position shown in FIG.2, which corresponds to their release position. In this end position ofthe switching strips 26, 27, the central interlock is open, that is tosay it releases all the drawers 3 in the cabinet 1 to be pulled out,provided their locking devices 8 permit this. In the release position,the first switching strip rests on the side leg 24 adjacent to thelocking devices, while the switching strip 27 is pivoted with its freeedge 27 a away from the side leg 25 toward the tongue 17 and rests onthe side edge 35 of the latter. From FIG. 3, it emerges that the secondswitching strip 27 rests on the side leg 25 when in its lockingposition. In its locking position, the first switching strip is pivotedbehind the undercut 37 of the tongue and rests on the section 38 of theside edge of the tongue 17. In the locking position, it is thereforepossible for the drawer to be moved at most by a few millimeters, untilthe first switching strip comes into contact with an undercut edge ofthe tongue, and further pulling out of the respective drawer is stopped.

Because of the release and locking position of the switching strips 26,27 belonging to the individual pull-out safeguard, only one drawer canbe pushed out in each case. To this end, the switching strips 26, 27interact as follows with the tongues of the drawers: if a drawer hasbeen pulled out, then the switching strips are located in the lockingposition shown in FIG. 5A. Since the first switching strip 26 has beenpivoted with its free side edge toward the center line of theinterlocking profile and behind the undercuts of the tongues 17, itlocks the drawers pushed in against being pulled out.

When the pulled-out drawer 3 is pushed in, the tongue 17 is pushed inbetween the two turned-over ends of the two side legs 24, 25 in thedirection of the base leg 23 of the interlocking profile 7. The tongue17 then encounters the two switching strips 26, 27, whose spacing fromeach other approximately corresponds to a width of the tongue 17 (inrelation to a direction transverse with respect to the push-in andpull-out direction). The two sections 34, 35 of the side edges thereforecome into contact with the two switching strips 26, 27. Since thesections 34, 35 extend obliquely with respect to the push-in direction,the two switching strips 26, 27 are pivoted toward the side leg 24. Inparticular, the oblique course of the section 34 has the effect that theswitching strips are firstly pivoted counter to the force of a leafspring (not illustrated) (FIG. 5B). In the course of this pivotingmovement, a dead point of the leaf spring is overcome, as a result ofwhich the spring force then acts in the pivoting direction and theswitching strips are transferred into their release position (FIG. 5C).In this position, the drawer is then pushed in completely. Since the twoswitching strips are then located in their release position, any desireddrawer in the released group can be pulled out.

As a result of a drawer 3 being pulled out according to FIGS. 5D, 5E,5F, the two switching strips 26, 27 are pivoted from their releaseposition into their locking position again. For this purpose, first ofall the switching strip 27 rests on the side edge 35 of the tongue 17(FIG. 5D), and then slides along the latter (FIG. 5E). By this means,the second switching strip 27 is pivoted in the direction of the leg 25.Because of the coupling, in this case the second switching strip takesthe first switching strip 26 with it, as a result of which the firstswitching strip 26 is pivoted in the direction of the center line 39,until it assumes its locking position according to FIG. 5F. In thiscase, too, the leaf spring initially counters this pivoting movement.Beginning approximately at the position illustrated in FIG. 5E, a deadpoint of the spring is overcome and its spring force then acts in thedirection of the pivoting movement toward the side leg 25.

In the event of an attempt to pull out a further drawer, the undercut 37of the tongue 17 of this drawer would strike the first switching strip26. None of the further drawers can therefore be pulled out until thedrawer that has already been pulled out is pushed in again and thereforethe individual pull-out safeguard is released again. In order totransfer the individual pull-out safeguard from its locking positioninto its release position and back again, it is therefore necessary touse a tongue 17 belonging to a drawer 3 to pivot the switching strips26, 27 in two opposite directions.

In the event of a power failure, the reciprocating magnets 30 of thelocking devices 8 of the individual drawers 3 also become de-energized.The springs of the locking devices 8 therefore press all the slides 31,that is to say even those slides 31 which belong to different groupsthan the drawers already released, into their release position (FIGS. 1and 4). Since even the reciprocating magnet 10 of the power-failsafeguard is de-energized, its spring presses against the angled lever11, as a result of which the latter is pushed vertically upward. Becauseof this movement of the angled lever 11, the switching strips 26, 27 aretransferred into their locking position according to FIG. 3, if they arenot already located in this position in any case. In addition, one ofthe cams is subsequently pushed into one of the two recesses in theupper dog 28, as a result of which the latter is fixed against movementand the interlocking device is fixed in its locking position. If adrawer is pulled out during the power failure, it is neverthelesspossible for this to be pushed in again counter to a resilientresistance from the two metallic switching strips. For this purpose, theswitching strips have to be pressed in the direction of their releaseposition using the tongue 17 of this drawer, and the drawer has to bepushed in completely. As soon as the undercut is located behind thefirst switching strip 26, both switching strips 26, 27 spring back intotheir locking position, as a result of which all the drawers are thensecured against unauthorized pulling out.

The power-fail safeguard may be released again via a central interlock50 (FIGS. 1 and 4). To this end, a switching rod 51 can be actuated byusing a key and, via an eccentric 52, presses the angled lever 11downward again counter to the lifting direction of the spring. Theeffect of this is that the cam releases the dog 28 again and the drawers3 are again ready to be pulled out. Since, however, all the drawers cannow be pulled out, it should be ensured that this releasing of thepower-fail safeguard can be carried out only by trusted personnel.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a further drawer cabinet 101 according to theinvention and belonging to a cabinet locking system which is essentiallythe same as the basic construction of the drawer cabinet 1 shown inFIGS. 1 to 5F. In the following text, therefore, only the differenceswith respect to the drawer cabinet 1 shown previously will be discussed.

Differing from the drawer cabinet 1, the drawer cabinet 101 has aninductive sensor 112 in the area of the upper end of the interlockingprofile 107 of its central interlock on the side opposite thereciprocating magnet 110. Located underneath the inductive sensor 112 isa pivottable flag 113, which is connected to the dog 128 by a hinge.Depending on the position of the two switching strips 126, 127 (cf. alsoFIG. 7) of the central interlock, the flag 113 is located directlyunderneath the inductive sensor 112—and therefore in the detection rangeof the sensor—or alongside it, as illustrated in FIG. 6. In theexemplary embodiment shown, provision is made for the flag 113 to belocated under the flag in the release position of the central interlockand alongside it in the locking position.

Arranged between the two switching strips 126, 127, on the dog 128, is aswitching pin 132, which interacts with an eccentric 152 on theswitching rod 151, which is shown in section. The switching rod 151 canbe actuated by a cylindrical lock arranged on a front side (not shown)of the drawer cabinet.

On the same side as the inductive sensor 112, in the area of the lowerend of the interlock profile 107, there are two reciprocating magnets10′ and 10″, which are each connected to a slide 114′, 114″. Each of theslides 114′, 114″ has a dog, which engages between the two switchingstrips. In the event of actuation of one of the two single-actingreciprocating magnets 110′, 110″, the switching strips 126, 127 can bemoved from one end position into a second end position by means of oneof the dogs. The switching strips 126, 127 can therefore be transferredinto their locking position by the upper reciprocating magnet 110′ andinto their release position by the lower magnet 110″. The respectiveother reciprocating magnet is then de-energized and is carried along viaits dog during the respective movement.

The inductive sensor 112 and the two reciprocating magnets belong to apower-fail safeguard 109, which is provided with its own,mains-independent, non-illustrated power supply—namely a bufferaccumulator. The power-fail safeguard can achieve the situation where,even in the event of a power failure, unauthorized access to drawers 103is not possible.

On the basis of the position of the flag 113, the inductive sensor 112can be used to determine whether the switching strips 126, 127 are inthe locking or in the release position. The inductive sensor 112transmits a corresponding signal to a control system which is notillustrated but is installed in the drawer cabinet. In the event of apower failure, the components of the failure safeguard—and thereforealso the control system—are supplied with power by the bufferaccumulator.

Because of differing circumstances, the switching strips 126, 127 may belocated in their release position in the event of a power failure, forexample because they were already arranged in this position before thepower failure. However, after the power failure has occurred, they canbe transferred into this position by means of one or more drawers 103being pushed in only after the power failure. If, then during a powerfailure, the inductive sensor 11 determines on the basis of the positionof the flag 113 that the switching strips 126, 127 are located in therelease position, the upper reciprocating magnet 110′ is energized (bythe buffer accumulator). This magnet therefore executes a stroke, as aresult of which its dog transfers the switching strips 126, 127 intotheir locking position. All the drawers 103 in the drawer cabinet aretherefore secured against unauthorized access, although thereciprocating magnets of the locking devices 108 assigned to theindividual drawers 103 are then de-energized.

In order, nevertheless, to be able to use the drawer cabinet 101 duringa power failure, provision can be made for the switching strips 126, 127to be capable of being actuated via the central mechanical lock. Saidswitching strips can be transferred from their locking position intotheir release position with the aid of the lock. By means of the lock,on the basis of a rotation of the eccentric 152 via the switching pin132 and the dog 128, the switching strips can be pushed from theirlocking position into the release position.

In this state, all the drawers in the drawer cabinet are accessible,without any restriction to specific user groups. Keys for the centralinterlock should therefore be allocated only to selected personnel.

After the power supply has been re-established by the mains, in order totransfer the switching strips 126, 127 into their release position, thesecond reciprocating magnet 110″ is energized by the control system, asa result of which said magnet executes a corresponding stroke. Via theswitching strip 114′ and its dog, during this movement the firstreciprocating magnet, which is then de-energized, is carried along. Inaddition, the control system then switches to “locking” all the lockingdevices 108 belonging to those drawers 103 which had assumed thisposition before the power failure. Of course, the other locking devicesrelease their respectively associated drawer.

In a further embodiment—not illustrated—means can be provided by meansof which a power failure cannot take place at all. It is thus possible,for example, for the cabinet locking system according to the inventionto have an emergency power unit which, in the event of failure of themains power, ensures an uninterrupted power supply to the overalllocking system.

What is claimed is:
 1. A drawer cabinet comprising a housing; aplurality of mutually separated pull-out drawers arranged in thehousing; an interlocking device for separately locking and unlocking atleast some of the drawers; an access authorization device into whichidentification codes corresponding to different groups of said drawersmay be entered; an electric processing unit connected to theinterlocking device and the access authorization device for controllingthe interlocking device in accordance with the identification codesentered into the access authorization device so that when one of theidentification codes is entered into the access authorization device,the drawers belonging in the corresponding group are unlocked by theinterlocking device, and said interlocking device including individualpull-out safeguard means which allow only one unlocked drawer to beopened at any one time.
 2. The cabinet as defined in claim 1, whereinthe safeguard means include means responsive to the opening of any oneunlocked drawer for preventing the opening of any other unlocked drawer.3. The cabinet as defined in claim 1 or 2 and further including meansfor locking at least some of the drawers in the event of a powerfailure.
 4. The cabinet as defined in claim 1 or 2 wherein saidsafeguard means comprise two switching strips that act on all thedrawers and can be transferred, by one drawer in the cabinet, from alocking position, in which it locks the drawers against being pulledout, into a release position in which one drawer can be pulled out. 5.The cabinet as defined in claim 1 or 2 wherein said safeguard means acton the interlocking device.
 6. A cabinet locking system comprising atleast one cabinet including a housing and a plurality of mutuallyseparated openable and closable compartments in the housing, a pluralityof said compartments of one or more cabinets being combined into atleast one group; an interlocking device for locking and unlocking thecompartments, said interlocking device including separate switchablelocking devices mounted in the housing and assigned to saidcompartments; an access authorization device into which identificationcodes corresponding to said compartments are entered, a specificidentification code being allocated to said at least one group; anelectronic processing unit connected to the interlocking device and theaccess authorization device for controlling the locking devices inaccordance with identification codes entered into the accessauthorization device so that when said specific authorization code isentered into the access authorization device, the compartments belongingto said at least one group are unlocked; means responsive to the openingof one unlocked compartment for preventing the opening of any otherunlocked compartment, and means for selecting and changing theallocation of said compartments to said at least one group.
 7. A cabinetlocking system comprising at least one cabinet including a housing and aplurality of mutually separated openable and closable compartments inthe housing, a plurality of said compartments of one or more cabinetsbeing combined into at least one group; an interlocking device forlocking and unlocking the compartments, said interlocking deviceincluding separate switchable locking devices mounted in the housing andassigned to said compartments; an access authorization device into whichidentification codes corresponding to said compartments are entered, aspecific identification code being allocated to said at least one group;an electronic processing unit connected to the interlocking device andthe access authorization device for controlling the locking devices inaccordance with identification codes entered into the accessauthorization device so that when said specific authorization code isentered into the access authorization device, the compartments belongingto said at least one group are unlocked; means responsive to the openingof one unlocked compartment for preventing the opening of any otherunlocked compartment, and means for selecting and changing theallocation of one or more groups of compartments to selectedidentification codes.
 8. A cabinet locking system comprising at leastone cabinet including a housing and a plurality of mutually separatedopenable and closable compartments in the housing, a plurality of saidcompartments of one or more cabinets being combined into at least onegroup; an interlocking device for locking and unlocking thecompartments, said interlocking device including separate switchablelocking devices mounted in the housing and assigned to saidcompartments; an access authorization device into which identificationcodes corresponding to said compartments are entered, a specificidentification code being allocated to said at least one group; anelectronic processing unit connected to the interlocking device and theaccess authorization device for controlling the locking devices inaccordance with identification codes entered into the accessauthorization device so that when said specific authorization code isentered into the access authorization device, the compartments belongingto said at least one group are unlocked; means responsive to the openingof one unlocked compartment for preventing the opening of any otherunlocked compartment, and power-fail safeguard means associated withsaid interlocking device which lock all of said compartments in event ofa power failure, said power-fail safeguard means including an electricalactuator which assumes a first condition when receiving, electricalpower and a second condition when not receiving electrical power, andmeans operatively connected to the interlocking device and responsive tothe condition of the actuator for causing the interlocking device tolock all of the compartments when the actuator is in said secondcondition.